Screw cap opener



W. F. GRANT SCREW CAP OPENER Filed Feb. 9, 1946 Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES f PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in closure removing means for containers and the like and more particularly to means for removing screw caps from jars, bottles and other con.. tainers.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive device of the character described capable of quickly and positively engaging the screw cap and removing or unscrewing the same.

Another object thereof is to provide a cap removing implement having a flexible means adapted to be looped effectively around the cap to be unscrewed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cap loosening or unscrewing implement with a linked type means of engaging the cap to be removed, which means has one end secured at one point of connection with the implement, and has a free end adapted to be extended through the implement in a loop around said cap in a manner to be firmly anchored frictionally thereto simply by proper manipulation of the implement in the hands of the operator.

A still further object thereof is to provide a screw cap device consisting of a flat handle having a slotted bearing formed at one end thereof into which is passed a linked chain or other flexible member which has one end ilxedly secured to said handle as a means of forming a loop of the chain or flexible member around the cap to be removed, so that by manipulation of the chain or flexible member it is propped securely and frictionally in said bearing so as to resist disengagement of the loop from the cap.

Another object thereof is to provide a handle with a flexible element secured at one end the-reof, with means allowing the elements to be pulled through the handle after being looped around the cap to be removed from the container, and with means for preventing the free end of the element from accidentally becoming disengaged from the handle.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate simliar parts throughout the respective views, and in which my invention is shown to consist in the combination, arrangement and details of construction.

Figure 1 is a top plan View of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view thereof taken at right angles to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmental detail View, partly in section showing links of the chain engaged with the handle at two points, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a modification form of ilexible element.

In the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention the parts thereof are shown to consist of a flat handle member Ill which is preferably formed with an enlargement as at II, at one end, and is preferably formed, at its opposite end, with a bottle cap removing recess I2 of a well known type.

I employ a flexible member, such as a linked chain I4 or flexible element 24 as the means intended to engage the cylindrical surface of the screw jar cap or screw cap of the container which it is desired to unscrew or remove. It is a well known fact that such container caps are quite often stuck upon the usual gasket around the neck of the jar or container so as to resist manual detachment by employing the hands of the operator. In such instances it is necessary to employ extraneous means and my invention is designed to supply same.

For the purpose of furnishing a means of securing removably one end of the linked chain I to the handle I0, the handle is formed in its enlargement II with a pair of openings I6 struck from the material of the handle, leaving a narrow portion or bridge Il between them. A portion of one end link I8 of the chain is passed into the opening I6, one side Wall on each side of the narrow portion or bridge I1, and a cotter pin or like fastener I9 is inserted through the adjacent link hole and also passed over the bridge Il; this securely yet releasably holds one end of the chain fast upon the handle.

The chain is adapted to be extendably secured, ratchet-like into the handle Il] by the following means. I provide in the enlargement II of the handle a bayonet-shaped slot which extends transversely of the enlargement so that its narrow portion is disposed in longitudinal alignment with openings I6 as shown in Figure 2 while its wider portion I3 projects laterally of openings I6, At the free or outer end of the linked chain I5 a loop ring 2l is attached, being made of a diameter or size to pass freely into and through the wide portion of slot I3 when the ring is held transversely of the handle, but being incapable of accidentally working through this slot otherwise, when the diameter of the ring is disposed across the length of the slot I3, which is less than the diameter of the ring.

The narrow portion of slot I3 is designated 23. With the inner end of the chain made fast in opening I6, the main body portion or stretch of the chain is adapted to be looped around the jar or other screw cap to be removed or unscrewed,"

after which a link 22 thereof which is adjacent to slot I 3 is designed to be passed into slot I3. Each link 22 is formed of adjacent side walls, each wall having a narrowed center portion and enlarged ends. The narrow portion of link 22 is then shoved laterally into narrow portion 23 of said slot, by raising the handle about the enlarged end as a pivot after which the chain is drawn tightly around the cap and the enlarged 'end of link 22 is caused to engage the upper side of slot portion 23 against which it is iirmly anchored as shown in Figure 3, so it will not slip and release the hold of the looped portion of the chain around the Cap. The operator noW holds the container tightlyin one hand, by means of the other hand'he moves the handle I manipulating'lyin a cntrclock wise direction with sufcient force to loosen the hold of the cap so it unscrews readily. This h'a`ving been done, the operator takes hold of the ring enti f the @nain anurinanipniates same-1n a manner to disengage llink 22'f1`jo'r`n yengangement fxedl'yji'nthe narrow part-23 of the slot I3.I

nrdicaltic'nv of my invention I have 'shown Figure '4, a 'fleiiiblfe 'nemberM as rubber, or 'otlier siiitablematerial, whi'enin'ay be used in plavceoff the*` linked `chain I4. The member 24 is fastened to the handle vIll by any suitable means and is adapted to pass A through-the opening I3 a-`vrnannerthat the ribs 525 will not pass through the opening 23.

I idofhot intendto'conne myself to the exact ldtailsjof construction disclosed in the drawings,

fclainrall Variations'falling within the pur- View of the append'edclain.

I 'Whatf I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patient is:

"Alsrew caponner comprising an elongated foiinedfwith an `opening adjacent one end thereof, said opening including a relatively large portion and a relatively narrow portion extending laterally from one end of said large portion, a ilexible cap encircling member, means securing one end of said member to said handle outwardly of said narrow portion and in longitudinal alignment'with the latter, said exible member being formed of spaced elements pivotally joined together by intermediate members, each of said elements having enlarged end portions and a narrow mid-portion, the width of the enlarged enti portions being grj'ater than the width of said narrow portion of the opening measured in the direction extending longitudinally of the flexible member and the width of said narrow mid-portions being less than said narrow portion oi the'opening measured in the same direction, wherby'lateral shifting of the flexible member from `saidltairge portion of the opening will perimit the narrow mid-portions of the elements to slide into said narrow portion of the opening with the said enlarged endportions disposed on opposite -faces "of said handle andsaid v"endportions will be lieldg'ainstlpassage through said narrow portin'of the opening, thus lokigth'e-lei'iible 'member in its initially tightened 'condition "about the cap. 4

WILLIAM GRANT.

'REFERENCES CITED The following referenze-'es are 'of 're'erdin the 

